Outline Fujioka City is situated in the south-western part of Gunma and within 90 km of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The city has been on an important transportation hub as the Kan-Etsu, Joshin-Etsu, and Kita-kanto Expressways run through it. However, it is also a place of outstanding natural beauty. There is Shimokubo Dam at the southern tip of the city which supplies water to Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures. Beautiful flowers grow throughout the year in Fujioka including cherry blossoms in spring and the Japanese wisteria, which is the city flower. Fujioka City also has cherry trees that bloom in fall and winter. In the middle of winter, Sakurayama Park will be covered with pink cherry blossoms, which have been designated as a national site of scenic beauty and a natural monument. Fujioka is an old city, and you will find many places of historic interest. They include Nanakoshiyama kofun (burial mounds) and Takayama-sha, a training facility of an advanced sericultural industry back in the 1880's. Also, remains of kiln that baked clay figures and roofing tiles for the provincial monastery is found and the technical know-how used here has been passed on to become the city's specialty, now known as Fujioka roofing tiles. As merger of Onishi Town in 1 January 2006, Fujioka became the city in present. Attractions ◆ Lake Takenuma The 4.3 km circumference of Lake Takenuma is surrounded by about 1,000 cherry trees. These trees are appropriately known as "the thousand cherry trees of Takenuma" and have become one of the most well-known cherry-blossom viewing spots in the city. The smooth deep green surface of the lake reflects the contrasting pink cherry blossoms as if it were a piece of artwork painted by nature. You can enjoy the beautiful view by walking along the shore or rowing a boat on the lake. ◆ Fujioka Wisteria Festival On Wisteria Hill, there is a 250-meter long pergola covered in blooming Japanese wisteria as well as a garden with 45 different types of wisterias. The pale purple flowers emit a subtle fragrance and when the flowers sway in the wind, it is reminiscent of Niagara Falls. Wisteria is the city flower of Fujioka and is frequently used in promotional events and materials. The Wisteria Festival is held annually from the end of April to the beginning of May. In the evening, the wisteria-covered pergola is lit up. There is also a wisteria museum on the premises. ◆ Onishi Summer Festival The 2-day summer festival has a hundred years history and is said to be one of the largest festivals in the Northern Kanto region. It is said that the sight of the five large floats lining the streets of Onishi rivals the sights of the famous Chichibu Night Festival. Highlights of the festival are the race of the five floats drawing up a hill, Nitta-zaka and the musical competition of the floats at the intersection called Yoriai. Performers dress up in gorgeous costumes and play with such intensity and power. The air of excitement these performers emit grows and creates one of the most climactic festival scenes in Onishi. ◆ Fujioka Festival All Fujioka citizens participate in the annual 2-day festival held in July. On Day 1, children carry small portable shrine through the streets of Fujioka, alongside adults who carry much larger ones. 13 floats make their rounds on Day 2. Other attractions include "M&D Fiesta" featuring singing and dancing, "Dance Fujioka Wow!", a samba version of the Fujioka Festival, and a parade of approx. 500 citizens dancing in their yukata. There will also be sales of local produce, both from Fujioka City and Ko-in City of PRC, a sister city of Fujioka. ◆ Yabusame and Hanauma of Doshi Shrine In the middle of October, Doshi shrine holds its autumn festival which Yabusame and Hanauma are dedicated. Yabusame is a traditional Japanese form of archery. It is quite a sight to see mounted archers race towards and then shoot arrows at a target. Hanauma refers to the decorated horses. Horses decorated with a variety of flowers trot gracefully inside the grounds. At the festival, Shishimai performed by local children is also dedicated. Nominosukune, who is said to be the forefather of Japanese Sumo, is enshrined in Doshi Shrine. In his honor, there is an ancient sumo ring inside the grounds, which is designated as city historical site. ◆ Night Festival of Mishima Shrine On 14 November, the eve of the Autumn Festival of the Mishima Shrine, there is a procession of shrine priests carrying a portable shrine from shrine's annex to the main building. The procession represents an ancient style of Shinto shrine festivals and is rarely seen nowadays. It has been designated as a city’s important folk cultural asset. There will be fireworks and stalls at the festival, attracting many visitors. Mishima Shrine is said to have been established by Akisada Uesugi, the governor of the Kanto region in the early 1500's. He is said to have moved the god of Mishima Shrine in Izu and enshrined it in Fujioka as the guardian of his Hirai Castle. ◆ Cherry Blossoms in Winter at Sakurayama Park 7,000 cherry trees that bloom in winter, which have been designated as a national monument of scenic beauty and a natural monument, are planted in Mt. Sakurayama. Winter cherry blossoms are at their best in November and December, and they stand in stark contrast with autumn leaves, attracting many visitors and photographers. There is a large Japanese garden at the start of a trail up Mt. Sakurayama with a pond and a brook in the center. The garden is designed to allow visitors to walk through, rather than just look at it from a distance. 1,500 tons of local Sanbaseki stones are used to create a landscape of Japanese beauty. In April, the cherry trees bloom again, so they blossom twice annually. A total of 10,000 cherry trees bloom in spring, making the entire mountain seem literally cherry pink. It is worth seeing. ◆ Onikoi Setsubun Festival On 3 or 4 February, people in Japan celebrate the Setsubun Festival. Setsubun is celebrated by throwing soybeans at invisible demons in and outside their house while calling out "In with the fortune; out with the demon" in order to cleanse their house and their family of evil influences and wish for their well-being throughout the year. As the name of Onishi township of Fujioka City in Chinese characters includes oni or demon, the city has come up with a unique idea of welcoming all of the displaced demons to Onishi on Setsubun Day. The Onishi Setsubun festival events include an Onishi version of bean-throwing by calling out "In with the fortune; in with the demon, too" instead of “out with the demon", and playing "rock, paper, scissors" with Oni. Also, a local dish of Tocchanagejiru, a miso soup with vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms, and dumplings will be offered free of charge. ◆ Tsuchitohinosato Park (Japanese artifact workshops) At the park, you can enjoy creating dyed fabric (indigo dyeing, design dying, etc.) glass-work, pottery, bamboo crafts, and tile work. Even if you are a beginner, with the help of the full-time professional staff, you can create a unique piece of artwork in just half an hour or so. The park is surrounded by mountains and the Ayukawa River, and it's a place for both young and old to spend a full day enjoying being creative. ◆ Sanbaseki Stone Gorge Sanbaseki stone, green stone, has been a very popular garden rock since the Edo period (1603 – 1867). Sanbaseki Stone Gorge is the home of these stones, and you can see natural Sanbaseki Stones in all sizes and shapes within the 1.5 km gorge. Sanbaseki stones have a beautiful pattern in green, yellow, and white. 48 of the stones were named for their extremely large size and/or unusual shape. The river that runs through the gorge is pure and cold even in summer, making it an ideal place for taking a negative ion baths. The gorge is also important scholastically and has been designated as a national scenic beauty as well as a natural monument. Shimokubo Dam is located a short distance upstream from the gorge and you can enjoy an extraordinary view looking up the dam from down below. ◆ Shimokubo Dam and Kanna Reservoir Shimokubo Dam was constructed on the Kanna River that runs through the city of Fujioka and the adjacent Kamikawa Town of Saitama Prefecture. Being the second largest dam in Tone River System after Yagisawa Dam in Numata City, the dam extends for 606m, the largest concrete dam in the country. The reservoir has been named Lake Kanna and is filled with river water that looks green. In spring, Lake Kanna is surrounded by Somei-Yoshino cherry trees in full bloom. Autumn leaves reflect off the mirror-like surface of the lake. In the lake, you can row a boat or fish for crucian carp. If you go up the levee, you'll get a bird's eye view of Sanbaseki Stone Gorge. ◆ Onsen There are five places where you can enjoy onsen, although in small scale. Three of which offer accommodations and the other two are day trip onsen facilities. Each of these facilities offers their original services and spring quality. .